Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa to produce Jerry Garcia biopic

According to the Hollyood Reporter, Little Miss Sunshine producers Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa are set to join their fellow Hamlet 2 producer Eric Eisner in the production of a biopic about Jerry Garcia. The three have just signed on to produce the as-yet unnamed project, which promises a revealing look at the Grateful Dead frontman's youth.

The film will focus on Garcia's years as a developing musician in the Bay Area, including his first encounter with the future bandmate Phil Lesh. The period includes his stint in the military, as well as a life-changing car accident. Dead Heads may be disappointed to discover that the movie may not feature music from the band. The producers have scored the rights to Robert Greenfield's Dark Star, a biography that details the oral history of the singer, but will most likely settle for Garcia's early, bluegrass tunes (that are now in the public domain).

Topper Lilien, who worked on Universal's Where the Money Is, has been tapped to write the script. There have been several documentaries made about The Grateful Dead, including one directed by Garcia himself in 1977, but this marks the first time the story will reach the big screen.